The Thunder Must Rely On Reserves Next Year As The Regular Season Stretches On

OKC must limit its stars' fatigue next season.

May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain (3) reacts after a basket during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City will have to play the rough regular season very strategically. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to do whatever it takes to take the league by storm once again and find themselves back in a position to make another run at an NBA Title. Even with all of the movement of players in the offseason, the Thunder still have more than enough talent to compete; they’ll just have to use that talent at the right time. 

It would be amazing if the Thunder’s star players could play all 82 regular-season games and not worry about the consequences, but unfortunately, fatigue is a huge part of the season. 

Oklahoma City witnessed last season what can happen to your season when riddled with injuries, as the absence of Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell in the conference finals derailed any chance of getting past the San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder will have to try and make sure everyone is as fresh as possible by the time the postseason starts, which means leaning on different players in different situations. 

Luckily, Oklahoma City has some of the best depth in the league, meaning that the team might not have to sacrifice wins for freshness. Players like Jared McCain and Jaylin Williams could get more time in the spotlight and truly show why they deserve to stay a part of the Thunder organization for years to come. Additionally, this would be a great situation to let the OKC rookies develop, allowing them to have large amounts of minutes in some contests. 

The Thunder’s depth doesn’t stop there, as the three two-way players OKC has are able to play up to 50 regular-season games for the squad. Oklahoma City utilized Brooks Barnhizer this way, as he played in 40 regular-season contests last season, and he, along with Otega Oweh and Josh Dix, could help even more with only 14 roster spots being filled so far. 

Thunder starters like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein will play when they are needed, but as the wear and tear of the season stretches on, these players will need nights of rest. In these situations, OKC can’t hesitate to lean on its young reserves so that its stars are prepared for the postseason. 

Allowing its key players to rest might mean OKC doesn’t have as dominant a regular season this upcoming year, but a dominant regular season means nothing if you don’t hoist a trophy in June.